In an electronic device such as a server device or a personal computer, it is necessary to apply programs for update, for instance, for the purpose of improving the performance and the functions of the own-device with respect to an operating system loaded in the own-device, for the purpose of correcting defects, or the like. To simplify the description, in the present application, a program for update is also called as an “update program”. In addition to these purposes, it is necessary to apply security-related programs for update to the electronic device, for instance, for the purpose of preventing damage due to malicious virus or invasion from a third person.
There are versatile techniques for more efficiently applying these programs for update to the electronic device. For instance, Patent Literature 1 executes data processing while avoiding the time of heavy traffic of networks or devices at the time of updating software programs. Patent Literature 1 discloses a technique relating to a distribution system of preventing lowering of processing efficiency in a system.
The distribution system disclosed in Patent Literature 1 (Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2013-206075) is provided with a first server which transmits the update program to a device via a network communicatively connected to the device, and a second server which stores the update program. The distribution system transmits the update program to the device, when a communication status between the first server and the second server, and a communication status between the first server and the device satisfy a communication threshold value. The distribution system also transmits the update program to the device, when the load status of the network, a memory, or a CPU (Central Processing Unit: hereinafter, called as a “CPU” in the present application) with respect to the device satisfies the threshold value.
Meanwhile, for instance, the degree of significance of a server device differs depending on the processing to be performed by the server device or data to be handed by the server device, when the update program is applied to the server device. For instance, a manager of server devices may wish to prioritize application of the update program to the server device whose degree of importance is high. Further, the manager may wish to promptly apply the update program whose purpose is to provide security measures having a high degree of urgency or to correct defects, prior to the update program whose purpose is to improve the performance or to add a function. On the other hand, the degree of urgency differs depending on the contents of defects to be corrected, even when the defects are corrected, for instance. In view of the above, the manager may wish to prioritize application of the update program whose degree of urgency is high and whose degree of importance is high. However, a generally known technique of applying update programs to the electronic device does not take into account that update programs are distributed in accordance with the degrees of significance or the purpose of uses of electronic devices or in accordance with the degrees of significance or the types of programs for update, and does not describe a solution. In other words, the existing technique is insufficient, even when update programs are applied in the descending order of the degree of urgency and the degree of importance.
Further, the distribution system disclosed in Patent Literature 1 takes into account a status of a network line and a load status of the server device, when it is determined whether or not it is appropriate to apply the update program to the server device. Patent Literature 1 merely describes that the distribution system prevents an increase in the network load and lowering of processing efficiency. Thus, Patent Literature 1 does not take into account and describe that programs for update are distributed in accordance with the degrees of significance and the purposes of use of server devices and in accordance with the degrees of significance and the types of programs for update.
A primary object of the invention is to provide a program distribution device and the like that enable to distribute programs in a more appropriate order with respect to an electronic device to which the programs are distributed.